Life and Death

The painful truth

Maka sat on her chair. She breathed, ready to know the secret this man was hiding. Opening the first paper, she saw it was a letter. From her mom, and it was sent to Kai Etsuko. It was her mama's handwriting, she recognized it.

Dear Kai,
I'm deeply sorry for what happened. You are a very important person to me, and I'd never want to lose you. But what happened was wrong. I was angry at Spirit, and I wanted to hurt him. I don't think I can ever forgive myself for what I did, not only to you and him, but to me. The girl you spent that night with... wasn't me. I was drowned in madness and anger. You don't deserve something like that, neither does Spirit. I'm so sorry Kai, but he's my husband and I'm his wife. But when you said you loved me, I don't know what happened to me. I lost control totally.I gave you the hope that someday something may happen between us, and I'm truly sorry. You deserve a wonderful woman who can love you and be by your side until the last day of her life. But that woman is not me. With a big pain in my heart, I beg you to forget that night ever happened. It's killing me to hide it from Spirit, but I can't risk everything just because one mistake. I want to dedicate my days to him.

I'm sorry.
Kami
April 12th, 1996.

Maka stopped. Her mama... cheated on dad. She spent a night with Kai being married to papa. So, her parents were both cheaters. There was a difference; she cheated on him when they were nine days of being married, and it was just one night, and she regretted it. Papa cheated multiple times after years of marriage. But still, they both cheated.  She felt a hole on her heart, then started thinking. 'Do I really want to know what happened after that?'. Her courage got the best of her, as she opened the second paper. Another letter, but this one was from Kai.

Kami;
I know what you're hiding from me. Yes, I know you're pregnant. Not only that,
I know you told Spirit it was his. I know, deep in my soul, that it's a lie. That baby
is mine, and you'll have to face it sometime. I never thought you could do something
as dirty as lie to your husband about something like that. I wonder how you sleep at
nights. I also wonder how I could have fallen in love with someone like you. I just
want you to know that what we did was a mistake indeed, but I always take
responsabilities of what I do. I'm the father of that baby, and I'm gonna act like it.
Either you tell Spirit the truth or I do. He deserves to know the lie he's living, and so
does the baby.

Kai
May 28th, 1996.

Maka almost fell off the chair. No. They can't be talking about her, it was impossible. She was born in February 18th, in 1997... nine months after he sent that letter. This can't be. Not only mom cheated on dad, but she got pregnant and lied to him? she's been living a lie! How could she do this? She felt the tears once again. Spirit was not her real father, and Kai tried to take care of her when he discovered he was her father. She had a headache, this was surreal. Her mama wasn't as honest as she thought she was. She hid it from her husband. From her own daughter. This can't be the same Kami, this was all a lie. It must be. A second hole appeared on her heart, this one much bigger. She glanced at the last paper, and grabbed it. There was more of it, and she was willing to discover it.
Another letter, from Kami, to Kai.

Kai;
Even if it was true that the baby is yours, I would never let you have it.
I'm the mother, and I will decide what to do. And I decided to take you
out of my life a long time ago. Spirit would never believe you if you told
him the truth. He loves me so much, and he is willing to be the best dad
he can be. What we did was a mistake, so why don't you forget about
it? Leave us alone.

Kami
June 2nd, 1996.

Mama wouldn't let Kai take care of her. Even though she was his daughter. Maka saw that coming, since she can't remember seeing him during her childhood. Except those two times that appeared on her dreams. Yes! she remembered now!

-FLASHBACK-

Six-years-old Maka heard shouting from downstairs. She put her doll on the floor and exited her room. She saw her mom arguing with a man. He seemed so angry at her. She sat at the top of the stairs, listening quietly.

"What the hell, Kami? You thought moving would stop me from take what it's mine?!" he shouted.
"Don't shout, Kai. Maka will hear you." she tried to calm him down. "Oh, you mean my daughter? She's living a lie, Kami. You've been hiding it for six years now, doesn't it hurt you? What are you, heartless?" he asked angry. "You know nothing. Of course it hurts, but this is my family and I'm not gonna break it. You know what happened was wrong, and I tried to forget it. But I can't forget it if ypu still sending me letters and coming to my house like this." "Dammit Kami, I don't give a shit about that night anymore. We're not talking about you cheating on Spirit, we are talking about lying to him the way you're doing it." He exclaimed. "Get out of my house, Kai. You're not Maka's father, and you will never be. Get out or I'll call the police." she said. "This is not over, Kami." He pointed at her, threatening. "One day, when Maka grows up, I'm gonna find her and I'll tell her everything. That day, your family will break. But not because we spent a night together, but because of your lies." He finished, then left the house.

-END OF FLASHBACK-

Maka sobbed quietly. She remembered perfectly. Yes, Kai was her father, there was no doubt about it. Her mama lied, to papa, to her, to everybody. And now she understood what Kai was talking about. Her mind drifted back to the last dream she had, remembering Kai's words. 'Life asked death, 'why do people love me, but hate you?' then she thougt of the conversation they had today. 'Because I'm a painful truth, and you're a beautiful lie.' that's what he meant. The appareance of Kai on her life was a painful truth, something that was hurtful to face, but she had to face it. And she, herself, was the beautiful lie. The lie Kami hid for years and years. A lie that haunted her until the very last day of her life. Maybe that's why she left after papa cheated on her, because she was ashamed to blame him whe she had done worse than that to him. She never told the truth, not even when she discovered he cheated on her. That led her to a lot of questions; does papa know Maka is not her real daughter? should she tell him? or should she talk to Kai first? now that she knows the truth, should she even trust Kai? how is she gonna look at his eyes now? was her life going to change now? she felt the holes on her heart getting bigger and bigger. She stood up, trying to breathe, trying to calm down. It was useless. She couldn't breathe, this was too much information for her. She got out of her room, sobbing loudly. A door opening called her attention as she saw Soul coming out of his room, with a worried face. "What's wrong, Maka?" he asked. She immediately attached her arms to his neck, hugging him again, bursting out in tears. Her waist welcomed his arms as he hugged her back. Every time she cried like this, Soul's heart broke a little more. She was truly broken, but he was here to heal her. No matter what. She cried her eyes out on his neck.

"My entire life is a lie." she said in between sobs.